Currently there are a number of biomedical applications where there is a need to rapidly and thoroughly mix two or more components in the operating room substantially immediately prior to administration to the patient. The mixing of components can typically involve extraction of one component in fluid form from a vial or other container and transfer of such component into a separate container which holds another component. In particular instances, only a portion of the contents of a vial or container is to be utilized for preparing a mixture prior to administering. Accordingly, the extraction and transfer can involve precise measuring of one or more components to be mixed.
A variety of problems can occur when utilizing conventional methodology and devices for mixing and/or administering biomedical agents to an individual. For example, where multiple components are to be mixed, extraction and transfer of one component and introduction of such component into another component can potentially expose one or both of the components to a non-sterile or contaminated environment leading to contamination of the resulting mixture. Additionally, incomplete extraction or improper measurement of one or more components can result in preparation and/or administration of an improper dosage. In particular instances, once biomedical agents are mixed the mixture must again be extracted from a vial or container into a syringe prior to administering to an individual. Such additional transfer can lead to additional opportunities for contamination, incomplete extraction of contents and/or inaccurate measuring of a component or the resulting biomedical agent.
In practice, there is limited availability of sterile environments for maintaining sterility during transfer and/or mixing of components, or preparation and transfer of biomedical agents. Additional errors can result from use of the wrong diluent to reconstitute the medication. Finally, preparation of biomedical agents utilizing multiple components can be tedious and time consuming due to factors such as the need to access individually packaged items such as separate vials and/or transfer devices, or to measure one or more components to be combined to form the biomedical agent. The multiple packaging and storage containers such as separate vials and/or transfer devices increase the cost of care and also create an additional waste stream which has to be dealt with in accordance with regulations governing the disposal of biomedical waste. There is a need in a simplified system for segregated storage and rapid and thorough mixing of two or more components in the operating room substantially immediately prior to administration to the patient, which can also reduce the risk of contamination during preparation.
Preparation of injectable drugs or hemostatic agents often requires a thorough mixing of two or more components which are stored in separate compartments. Use of multiple vials and syringes is expensive and wasteful, complicates the preparation, increases the probability of error, and requires proper disposal of used containers. For example, in preparation of a hemostatic paste based on biopolymer, such as gelatin, in mixture with thrombin, the surgeon often performs the mixing by using two interconnected connected syringes and moving the paste back and forth to mix gelatin with saline solution containing thrombin. One syringe is then discarded.
In preparation of reconstituted solution of a protein, such as reconstituted thrombin or fibrinogen from lyophilized thrombin or fibrinogen, the dry lyophilized powders need to be thoroughly mixed when reconstituted with water or saline.
In some commercially available hemostatic kits, reconstitution of lyophilized thrombin is performed in a vial into which water is injected from a syringe. After swirling the mixture, the solution is aspirated back into syringe. The reconstitution of the thrombin can be slow because there is no forced mixing in the vial. Then the solution is expressed into a sterile cup and the syringe and the vial are discarded. The solution is then aspirated by another syringe and can be connected via a luer to the syringe containing the gelatin matrix. The contents are then mixed by moving between syringes back and forth, after which one syringe is discarded and the ready mixture is expressed from the last syringe. The process of using and discarding a vial, a cup, and two syringes to prepare one syringe with the hemostatic paste in multiple sequential steps requires time and high attentiveness of the healthcare professional.
There are a number of known multi-chamber, single barrel as well as multi-barrel syringes which attempt to accomplish the segregated storage of two components and subsequent mixing and expression of the resulting mixture from the syringe.
A number of references disclose two syringes which are interconnected and used for mixing components by moving from the mix from one syringe to another.
None of the references provide, in a single syringe, for the capability of vigorous back and forth mixing between the compartments and thus for rapid effective reconstitution and/or mixing of separately stored components. The known systems utilizing valves are complex and can plug up with the mixing materials, or can leak during storage. Only uni-directional movement of the plunger (i.e. forward) is possible, resulting in insufficiently efficient mixing of the components.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2014/0114276 RECONSTITUTION AND APPLICATOR SYSTEM FOR WOUND SEALANT PRODUCT discloses a system for mixing or reconstituting agents including engageable syringe barrels, one of which having a male engagement region and the other a female engagement region. Each of the male and female engagement regions is provided with a screen. The screens are closely spaced from one another when the first and second syringe barrels are engaged with one another. The screens can take the form of a mesh, a plurality of protuberances, or cantilevered wedges having tapering thicknesses. It further discloses a method for reconstituting a powdered agent comprising: providing a first syringe barrel including a main chamber defined by a cylindrical barrel wall, an open proximal end, and a male engagement region at a distal end, the male engagement region including a screen; providing a second syringe barrel including a main chamber defined by a cylindrical barrel wall, an open proximal end, and a female engagement region at a distal end, the female engagement region including a screen; depositing the powdered agent into the main chamber of one of the first syringe barrel or the second syringe barrel; inserting a plunger in the open proximal end of the first syringe barrel; inserting a plunger in the open proximal end of the second syringe barrel; drawing a diluent into the main chamber of one of the first syringe barrel or the second syringe barrel; engaging the male engagement region of the first syringe barrel with the female engagement region of the second syringe barrel; and tilting the engaged first and second syringe barrels back and forth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,729 entitled Drug reconstitution and administration system, discloses a drug reconstitution and administration system that includes a container for a concentrated drug or other medicament, a syringe assembly which can be pre-filled with a liquid diluent, and a mixing adapter assembly which facilitates mixing of the medicament with the liquid diluent.
U.S. Patent publication No. 2003/0032935 entitled Packages facilitating convenient mixing and delivery of liquids, discloses embolic devices and methods for mixing and delivering embolic material in a sterile environment that facilitate delivery of the embolic material directly into a patient thereby preventing the embolic material from becoming contaminated. Such devices include a sealable container couplable to a syringe, a dissolvable caplet or gel-cap including a solid or liquid embolic material, a sealed vial with a breakable neck containing an embolic material, and a flexible container including internal compartments separated by breakable membranes.
European Patent Publication EP1466572B1 entitled Device for packaging, mixing and applying bone cement discloses a device for packaging, mixing and applying bone cement obtainable from at least one first component and one second component, comprising: a first container, in which the first component is packaged hermetically and which is provided with an opening that is associated with first temporary closure means; a second substantially cylindrical container, which is provided with an outlet that is associated with second temporary closure means; and piston means, which are inserted so that they can slide hermetically within the second container and can be actuated from outside with a rectilinear motion; the second component is packaged between the outlet and the piston means; the opening and the outlet are temporarily mutually associable, and the piston means are suitable to push the second component from the second container to the first container for mixing with the first component and to aspirate the cement thus formed from the first container into the second container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,131 entitled Composite bone marrow graft material with method and kit discloses a kit containing sterilized implements useful in preparing enriched composite bone marrow graft material, kit having two loading syringes attached to a matrix column.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0224648 entitled Syringe Filter Cap and Method of Using the Same for Administration of Medication Dosage discloses a syringe and filter cap that ease the administration of medication to patients. The cap fits securely over the syringe nozzle and has at least one orifice. The orifice is configured to retain medication particles within the syringe, while allowing liquid to be drawn into the syringe through the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,226,627 entitled Reconstitution assembly, locking device and method for a diluent container, discloses a reconstitution assembly that includes: a flexible bag containing a diluent; a drug vial containing a drug; a reconstitution device further comprising: a first sleeve connected to the first container; a second sleeve connected to the second container, the second sleeve being associated with the first sleeve and movable axially with respect thereto from an inactivated position to an activated position; a piercing member positioned in the sleeves, the piercing member providing a fluid pathway between the bag and vial when the sleeves are in the activated position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,699,229 entitled Fluid transfer device, discloses a fluid transfer and mixing device for use in the aseptic intermixing of a powder component with a fluid component. The device is of a simple, compact construction that includes a first adapter that can be easily connected to a container containing the powder component and a second adapter that can be removably interconnected with the first adapter and can also be readily connected to a container containing a fluid such as a diluent so as to permit aseptic intermixing of the diluent with the powder. In use a conventional needleless syringe can be easily connected to the first adapter so that the mixture of the powder and diluent can be aseptically aspirated from the first container for subsequent delivery to the patient.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0155901 entitled surgical cement preparation system, discloses a surgical cement preparation system designed for the rapid, clean, safe, accurate and thorough handling and combining of cement ingredients, particularly useful in the preparation of surgical cements such as polymethylmethacrylate to ensure their thorough mixture and presentation in advance of the cured or hardened state. It provides a surgical cement preparation system for combining a liquid ingredient together with at least one solid powder ingredient comprising a needle and syringe assembly and a mixing vial structured to optimize their relative functions and cooperatively interact with other components.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0135831 entitled BIOADHESIVE MIXING AND PREPARATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING TWO SYRINGES, discloses a bioadhesive mixing assembly that includes first and second syringes and an adapter. The first syringe includes first and second chambers holding a first sealant component and an activator, respectively. The second syringe includes third and fourth chambers holding a second sealant component and one of an activator or a third sealant component, respectively. The adapter is mounted to the first syringe and includes first and second channels in flow communication with the first and second chambers, a first seal member providing sealed access to the first and second channels, first and second needles connected in flow communication with the third and fourth chambers, and a second seal member enclosing the first and second needles. Connecting the adapter to the second syringe punctures the first and second seal members with the first and second syringes to create flow communication between the first and third chambers and the second and fourth chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,135,027 titled Devices and methods for mixing and extruding medically useful compositions discloses devices and methods for mixing and extruding compositions which are medically and non-medically useful. The devices are particularly useful for mixing substances which are relatively inert when alone but become reactive when mixed. A common feature of all of the devices is that they allow the user to mix and ultimately extrude a composition from a single device which includes a single container or multiple interconnected containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,322,956 titled System and method for mixing at least four components, discloses a system for mixing four components including a first syringe arrangement and a second syringe arrangement each with two chambers for holding components. Each of the two respective chambers of the syringe arrangements are connected in a uniquely defined fashion due to specific means for connecting the syringe arrangements. A component held by one chamber is mixed with a component of the corresponding other chamber by transfer into the other chamber. After mixing and disconnecting the second syringe arrangement from the first syringe arrangement, the two component mixtures in the chambers of the first syringe arrangement are further mixed and discharged by means of a mixing device which is to be connected to the first syringe arrangement. The connecting means allows connecting of the mixing device to the first syringe arrangement only after removal of the second syringe arrangement and a portion of the connecting means.
None of the references provide, for the capability of vigorous back and forth mixing between the compartments and thus for rapid effective reconstitution and mixing of separately stored components. The known systems utilizing valves are complex and can plug up with the mixing materials, or can leak during storage. Only unidirectional movement of the plunger (i.e. forward) is possible, resulting in insufficiently efficient mixing of the components. It would be desirable to develop alternative multi-compartment medical devices for segregated storage and on demand mixing of at least two components and for expressing the resulting mixture from the device for use in treating a patient.